Think. Discuss. Act.
Gender

See also related topics: Girls; Boys; Women; Men; Gay Teens; Homosexuality; Transgender.

Summary

Excerpts from a chat room at www.healthyplanet.com:

I’m a 13 yr. old female from tx and i’ve just recently found out that i am bisexual,i was born without a hand, and because of it i’ve always felt insecure about myself,..and i think i need to talk to someone male/female
i’m a 17 female, confused about being bisexual. i’m just looking for a friend/someone to talk to
transgender, male-to-female, bipolar, self-injury, anorexia (anyone who deals with the same things?)
Transgendered…wondering if I was born intersexed?
gay male. Feeling isolated. Talk to anyone.
I am queer and to my own knowledge a biological male. I am unsure of my gender and I need support. I feel I am not a male and I feel I am not a male in my spirituality, and body. I am starting to wear womens clothing, but I am hesitant because I am masculine and I think I will be attacked. I’m looking for other gender queer and transgenderd people to gain support in my process.
I’m only 12, and i think i am gay (more on the know side) i just want to talk to people. My name is Chris. I live in New York.

It seems that gender has never been so widely questioned, defended and stretched than today, some claiming that there are really five genders with 15% of the population falling somewhere in between the male/female dichotomy (“Inside Intersexuality”: www.healthyplace.com/Communities/Gender/intersexuals/index.html) Within our relativistic post-modern climate, anything that hints of being rigid or absolute is aggressively challenged. A recent bumper sticker reads, “Gender is fluid,” attesting to the need to break free from the constraints of gender roles, both social and physical. The mantra of individual choice and rights now extends to gender; no one should be oppressed by the gender into which they are born. One can choose to be anything one feels: homosexual, bisexual, transvestite…And, then there are some born with ambiguous sexual genitalia who grow up to be intersexuals, some having their sex chosen arbitrarily at birth and others choosing it later in life.

With gender fluidity, of course, comes a total loss of lucidity, and this affects youth moving through puberty and into adulthood more than anyone else. How can they know what is normal? What does it mean to be a woman or a man and how does that affect one’s vocation, marriage, parenting and other relationships?

As the beginning quotes from a gender support website www.healthyplace.com cites, youth are crying out for someone to talk to and to help them grapple with these deeply personal and difficult issues. With the large occurrence of depression, self-mutilation, sexual abuse and suicide among those struggling with gender identity, we cannot afford to shy away from these challenging conversations with youth today. The Church more than ever must offer a compassionate and clear voice into a muddled and hurtful struggle.

Questions for Reflection and Discussion

How do we answer youth who ask us “What does it mean to be male/female in vocation, marriage, parenting and other relationships?”
What does the Bible have to say about being male/female? And, what are the various interpretations for gender roles in work, marriage and in ministry? How do you arrive at your own conclusions for these questions?
What can the church and/or Christians do to both address the issues and the people suffering from them?

Implications

· Gender issues are a significant part of youths developing their identity into adulthood.
· We must take them seriously and not be afraid to discuss them.